Intended for healthcare professionals

Choosing a suitable biological treatment for psoriasis

Tony Ormerod
The term ‘biological’ refers to a substance made from a living organism or its products. Biologicals (‘biologics’ in the USA) may be used to prevent, diagnose or treat a disease. Antibodies, interleukins and vaccines are all biologicals. Following the development of hybridoma technology in the 1970s and the advent of genetic engineering, it has become possible to engineer and manufacture fusion proteins or monoclonal antibodies that target specific cells or receptors, and to largely replace the non-variable regions of antibodies with molecular structures derived from humans. Psoriasis treatment has benefited enormously from this technology.
Dermatology in practice 2007; 15(2): 25–27
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Dermatology in practice was previously supported by Wyeth from 2008 to 2010, by Wyeth and Serono in 2007, by Wyeth and Shire from 2005 to 2006, by Medlock Medical in 2004 and by SSL International from 2001 to 2003.

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